August 25, 2023
Hello there,
I'm grumpy. It is hot and sticky. I'm not sleeping well. I definitely don't want to tackle
all the chores and errands that have been put off. Life is annoying. It just is sometimes.
I know I am not the only one to have grumpy moods strike and as tempting as it is to push the mood aside and cheer myself up before I write to you, or worse
pretend, let's unpack the grump and see what gold it carries, shall we?
1.
Be where I am, not where I think I should or would rather be.
I know it is not polite to admit the less than happy states of mind. I know I "should" be upbeat, positive, inspiring, insightful. Isn't that why you are here? Isn't that what those of us in the personal growth/spiritual/creative space are suppose to do? As my mom would say, "No one wants to see your unhappy
face."
How many messages do you get trying to shame you out of an emotional space you are in? It is so common and not helpful. But here is the thing: grumpy, annoying, uncomfortable feelings happen. In fact they need to happen because they have something
important to communicate that just can't happen inside of happy-all-the-time.
There is a good reason we feel exactly the way we do, even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient. This is not an excuse to act out or express emotions inappropriately, but
those feeling are here with a purpose.
2.
What exactly am I feeling?
When I feel into my grumpiness I find some mild anger with a side of apathy. I am annoyed, prickly,
resistant, even a bit sad and weepy. Just naming the feelings helps, like finding myself on my soul's map. Grumpy is a diffused state on its own but add in annoyed, prickly, resistant, angry, apathetic, sad and wheepy, and a profile builds of what is going on for me.
Look and see what mood you are in and what it is holding for you. Name as many emotions you can. Just this helps. Bonus, ask them why they have come to visit and see what tresures come forth.
3.
What are my feelings wanting to tell me?
Grump and Company are letting me know that I want space and rest (ahh...),
and I need to tend to the functionality of my life (not so fun). Some self-tending boundaries are being crossed, but also there is not a lot I can do about some of it right now.
I can't change the weather and
try, try, try as I might I have limited control over my sleep (thank you menopause). While I want cool days, a good night's sleep, and time to play, August is going to give the hot and sticky weather it will and there are things that need attention. Bookkeeping left unattended too long causes financial mistakes. Laundry and dishes wont do themselves and clean underwear and plates to eat from are necessary. Yes, my husband does his share of these but we have both been sick and things have gotten,
a bit feral, shall we say? It is time for a reset!
I'm left with three questions to help myself move forward:
What kind of play and rest can I give myself? A nap and some art time.
What is essential to reset the functionality of my space that can happen today? Get up to date with my bookkeeping, do a couple of loads of laundry (only the essentials, not every bit of it),
clear the sink of dishes (that is enough for now, I do not need to scrub the counters, floors, an windows too). This is 2-ish hours. Not a small amount of time but doable, especially for the payoff it will give. Much less than the all or nothing my grumpy self was trapped in. Marathoning is not required.
What can I need to let go
of? Magical Brownies, the elf kind not the chocolate kind, wont come do the work for me. Really, I get very angry that life maintenance stuff doesn't just happen while I sleep. Also though, I don't have to bring perfection to the reset party. Minimal is excellent and complete.
4.
Emotions will shift as their work is complete.
I'm not grumpy anymore.
Now I feel grounded, accepting, even a bit of hopeful. Once Grump and Co. had some space to speak and give their gold it led to some peace of mind and a gentler way forward into my day. Thank you for coming on the grumpy journey with me.
Never let an emotion go to waste. What do you find when you slow down and listen to the emotions you are having? There is always wisdom in them. I've shared Your Emotional Vocabluary List before, but it is so helpful in getting to the treasures held in all of our
emotions.
If you want to go deeper into how your emotions are working for you, even if they feel uncomfortable or inconvenient, consider a DEI Consulation. We can go deep into what and how your emotions are working to give their brilliance.
5.
A blessing for your week:
